GROVE CITY, Ohio -- If you live in small town of Millersport, Ohio and meet somebody with the last name Purvis, there's a good chance they scored 1000 points on the hardwood in high school.

Just four seasons after his brother Zane Purvis joined the 1000 point club at Millersport, Lakers' senior guard Mason Purvis reached the same feat tonight in a 72-50 road win over Grove City Christian.

While Grove City Christian came out of the gates with a lot of energy and took a 15-14 lead into the second quarter behind the play of freshman Caleb Ransom, Purvis quickly went on his own 5-0 run to give Millersport a 19-18 lead with 3:47 left in the first half, a lead they never lost the rest of the night.

After Grove City Christian fell into a cold spell during the second quarter they never seemed to find a rhythm afterwards, as Millersport capitalized on the Eagles offensive struggles to blow the game open in the third quarter, giving them a comfortable 55-34 lead heading into the final frame, a lead that they rode through the finish line.

Leading all scorers with 28 points, Purvis was excellent for the Lakers all night long. The senior is expected to create virtually all of Millersport's offense and even with the entire defensive gameplan geared towards stopping him, he consistently finds a way to get it done.

The Lakers improve to 2-0 with the win and will be back in action on December 23rd when they travel to West Jefferson. They are scheduled to play Fairfield Christian next week, however, the Knights were quarantined late this week.

For Grove City Christian, sophomore wing ​​​​​​​Braydan Taylor had a team-high 18 points while Ransom added 12 of his own. 

Despite a tough loss tonight, the Eagles have an excellent pair to build with moving forward in Taylor and Ransom. While this year will feature lots of learning moments for the young group, the Grove City Christian program is headed in the right direction.

Mason Purvis (5'10 PG / Millersport / 2021): Absolute bucket getter. That is the best way to describe Purvis. After scoring 42 points in a season opening win against Miller, the senior guard was back at it again tonight, going for an efficient 28 points. The lefty has a tight handle that helps him wiggle through double teams, plays with a good pace and is a lights out shooter with range that extends to the volleyball line. The fact that Purvis can shoot it off the dribble with consistency allows him to keep defenders on their heels as well, as he showed off several good combo moves leading to tough finishes inside tonight. The senior has a soft touch inside, is a consistent finisher and despite having to carry the load for his team, still gets things done very efficiently. While he will need to add strength in order to become a better defender, small college programs should take a look at the small school sleeper, as he is leading the area in scoring through two games at 35 points a night.

Braydan Taylor (6'1 WG / Grove City Christian / 2023): After getting his feet wet on the varsity level last season on a team with mainly upperclassmen, Taylor is now the most experienced player on the Eagles roster, which is strictly comprised of underclassmen. In an 18 point outing on Friday night, the sophomore scored it in a few ways and showed off his potential offensively. He hit a tough mid-range, scored off of a few instinctive cuts that lead to easy lay ins and also nailed a three. While he never found a rhythm shooting it tonight, we know Taylor has the capability to put up big scoring numbers offensively. He also has good length at 6-foot-1, disrupts smaller guards in traps and is a reliable team defender. While he has to step into a much larger role this season, keep an eye on Taylor, as he is a talented young prospect in the MSL-Cardinal.

Caleb Ransom (6'0 PG / Grove City Christian / 2024): After standing out at The Intro back in October, we were happy to get our eyes on Ransom once again tonight. Running the point and dominating the ball for Grove City Christian, the freshman showed some impressive flashes despite it not being his best night. At a strong 6-foot, Ransom has an excellent frame for a freshman that he puts to use scoring inside and attacking off the dribble. We were impressed with his instincts and passing ability on Friday night despite having a few too many turnovers, as he seemed to rush himself at times, but after all, he is only a freshman. Ransom is a tough perimeter defender as well and was the most active player on the floor tonight, cleaning up the glass for Grove City Christian on the defensive end. After losing a lot to graduation, the Eagles have an excellent piece to build on in the move-in freshman, who has a chance to be one the programs better players over the last few seasons.